


Some Actions are Started by Impulses That Are Made Into Habits Over Time

by cynosure_coffee



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, happy February Magic day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22706878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynosure_coffee/pseuds/cynosure_coffee
Summary: On a cold late night, Banri comes up to Tsumugi, with the usual two coffee mugs on hand.“You really think of everything, don’t you?” He says it as a tease, but there’s a fondness in Tsumugi’s voice.“If it’s for Tsumugi-san, why wouldn’t I?”
Relationships: Settsu Banri/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 67





	Some Actions are Started by Impulses That Are Made Into Habits Over Time

**Author's Note:**

> A quick one for Valentines' Day! Unbeta'd, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless.

“There you are.”

Banri finds the man he’s looking for at the second-floor balcony. It’s another pleasant night for the breeze to pass through the spaces of MANKAI Dormitories. It’s not too strong it to be too cold, but because the winter air is still long ways from bidding goodbye, it’s still chilly even without it. Hence, Tsumugi is wrapped not only in his favorite turtleneck, but also in a thick wool blanket draping over his shoulders. On the table, there are scattered notes and books, varying in subjects and figures written on them. But Banri didn’t need more than a single glance to tell whose those were for.

“Ah, Banri-kun. Good work today.”

“You too… is what I’d like to say, but it doesn’t seem like you’re exactly done.”

Tsumugi giggles— a sweet twinkle for Banri’s ears in the silence of the night. “No, not exactly. I still have to finish the lesson plan for a new student that I took in recently.”

“Let me guess… Troubles in math, Japanese history, and... “ Banri snaps his fingers as if pushing a thought out. “Ah, and English?”

“Someone’s eyes are sharp.” Tsumugi acts impressed to butter up the show-off. He returns his eyes to the mess in front of him. “It’s not just one student. I want to make something for Taichi and Tenma too, what with the new semester ahead of them.”

“Figured so. That’s why I brought some refills.” Banri raises his two mug-occupied hands and nods his head towards the half-empty mug beside Tsumugi’s arm.

“Ah—!” Tsumugi jumps in his seat, almost knocking down a stack of notebooks just next to the mug. He touches the side of it, and his shoulders drop. “It’s cold now.”

“Yeah, well, you  _ are _ working out in the cold, you know.” Banri passes one of the mugs to Tsumugi. This one is lighter than the other. Medium blend. Two teaspoons of sugar. A sixth of a cup measure of milk. Just as Banri recognizes it like the back of his palm by now.

Tsumugi smiles in return. “Thank you, Banri-kun.” He takes a long sniff of the warm aroma coming off of the warm drink. Like magic, the warmth trails down throughout his whole body. Especially in his heart. “Mhm, I suppose it’s not all that of a waste if I get to taste Banri’s coffee in replacement.” 

_ (It’s a habit by now. Banri has convinced himself that since the first weeks he realized how often he would brew two mugs at a time. It’s a habit— after providing Tsumugi a mug every time they had bought sachets of a new pre-roasted blend as take-out from one of the many cafés they frequent. Those treasured ones that match both of their tastes, in both space and flavor. It’s a habit by now, three years since they started going to shops together more times than they could count, to provide for a second person even without a prompt or a second thought.  _

_ Banri wonders if he can still call it a habit if there’s a conscious motive to see his boyfriend warm up in the cold. _ )

“What’s that there?” Tsumugi notices the paper bag hanging from Banri’s wrist on the other hand. It snaps Banri out of his thoughts.

“Oh, right.” Banri puts down his mug and takes off the bag from his arm. He helps himself to the seat across Tsumugi’s. “I passed by that old cafe on the way back. You remember Palazzo?”

“Ah, yeah. The one with the postal front aesthetic and road sign decor?” Banri makes a low chuckle, as if amused that,  _ of course, the interior is the first thing Tsumugi-san remembers _ . “Is this from them, then?”

He nods. “Passed by them on the way back from an outing with college friends, so I got us a dozen assorted donuts fresh from their ovens.” Banri starts taking out a box from the paper bag, and Tsumugi’s eyes shine with glee. It’s an almost plain white box, save for the embellished print of the cafe’s logo on the topside. “Well.  _ Four dozen _ , originally,” Banri adds. “Can’t leave out the rest of the guys. Except, knowing Hyodo, he’s got the stomach to finish two boxes.” 

Tsumugi giggles. “We should go there together sometime again. We haven’t gone there in a while.” He rubs his thumb on the ceramic handle of his mug, “I had heard rumors that it’s closing down soon,” he laments. “I’d like to do a kind send-off to the owner for all they’ve done.”

“Yeah. That’d be nice.” Banri takes a sip from his mug before reminiscing. “It was a really nice one too, huh? Good food, nice company.”

“They were truly sweet people. And the interiors there really take you back to an era, yet somehow, they still managed to feel as cozy as one’s home.” Tsumugi goes off with every detail by memory, chattering as if he was talking about an etude as one would expect from the acting addict. Banri lets him, though, as he loves this part of Tsumugi too. Unfiltered in his thoughts and passions, Tsumugi and his voice are among his favorite things that he could listen to all day.

“Did you know the owner takes their vegetables from their own backyard?” Banri finally chimes in. He keeps on talking as he opens the box in front of them. “That really gave the food some added quality. You could really taste the freshness in them.”

“Home-grown ingredients, huh? I don’t doubt that added to the whole flavor of the place, then.” The scent of the baked goods can reach all the way to his seat. “Oh, they smell good! May I?”

Banri pushes the box towards Tsumugi’s way as affirmation. “I did get it for sharing, after all. Plus, I made sure to it that the coffee is suited for the donuts just right.” 

“You really think of everything, don’t you?” He says it as a tease, but there’s a fondness in Tsumugi’s voice.

“If it’s for Tsumugi-san, why wouldn’t I?” 

Banri grins, and there’s a jump in Tsumugi’s heart. He’s always been aware of the younger man’s consideration for him, even before they started dating. It used to make him anxious, thinking that Banri’s attention and kindness should be focused on someone else more deserving. And though he’s been trying to learn otherwise, he can’t deny that it still takes him off-guard. His cheeks flush and he redirects his attention to the donut in his hands. “Mhm… I’ll dig in then.” 

As he bites onto the sweet treat, the distinct taste hits him with slight nostalgia. “...It’s tasty. Just like the first time.”

“The first time… Ah, you mean  _ that _ time, right?” Banri leans against the table. “So you  _ do _ remember.”

Tsumugi’s eyes are wide-eyed in surprise, and then he relaxes into a smile. “How could I forget? It was one of the first cafes we bonded in. Neither of us recommended the place since we both never knew of it before then, but we both knew we would come back to it later on. Right?”

“You really geeked out about the whole aesthetic of the cafe, too. That was also the first sight of many,” Banri laughs. 

Embarrassed, Tsumugi hovers a hand over his face. “My mouth really runs on its own sometimes. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. We wouldn’t have made our own lists of favorites if I didn’t catch up on your tastes that early on.” Banri beams. He treasures each one of those places— The ones they kept a secret from others, far too special to share, as selfish as it seems. They were places they could call their own. “But more than that, we first went there for a job.”

“Right.” Tsumugi visibly relaxes. “The photoshoot was why we went there in the first place.”

( _ He remembers it very vividly. Both of them were matching in browns, reds, and yellows. They had done it as a collaboration promo gig for both the troupe and the cafe. They had several shots taken there, though one stood out more than the rest. It was completely on Banri’s impulse when he took Tsumugi’s wrist to lean towards his way, but they were already about to take the shot when Tsumugi decided best to work against his nerves and not take too much notice to it. The exciting feeling went by as fast as it came, and Banri’s grip on Tsumugi left only a ghost around his wrist for the rest of the day.  _

_ They were already getting along well as leaders back then, and Tsumugi had already thought Banri to be a handsome young man back then too. He knew Banri had much potential to become something more if he gave more heart to his path. He didn’t think he had the liberties to feel infatuated for his troupe mate. _

_ Frankly, for Tsumugi, it’s almost strange thinking about it in retrospect, back when he thought their status as “cafe buds with a generation gap” would last as just that. They are still that now, that’s no lie. _ )

They’re still that,  _ and more. _

Funny how time and feelings work.

“Although,” Tsumugi laughs, “it’s unfortunate thinking our efforts then are in vain now--” 

When he looks up, he realizes that Banri’s been staring with a slightly knowing look that’s all too familiar. Tsumugi prides himself on being able to read people’s expressions, and he can tell when Banri wants something out a situation. 

“What’s up, Banri-kun?” Tsumugi asks anyway. Banri hums without clearly giving an answer. His lids drop halfway, and it makes Tsumugi nervous for some reason. “Banri-kun, are you perhaps getting slee--”

It takes him by surprise. Again. Banri had been leaning in for a reason, and the next thing Tsumugi felt was Banri’s hand around his own wrist. (Has his hand always been that big? Or has Tsumugi really failed to keep up with giving himself more mass with his diet?) Banri’s mouth closes in, and Tsumugi’s sense of touch somehow becomes twice as sensitive as he feels Banri’s breath on the skin of his slim fingers. The warmth of it sends a shiver down his spine. He’s sure he never reacted this badly when Banri did this to him before. Is it because there’s no camera in front of them to ground Tsumugi to his nerves steady? Is it because of the winter air surrounding them that makes every small but warm action between Banri and his own body play with his senses? Or is it simply because he’s more acute to Banri and all of his ways, now that he’s sure he likes him?

Tsumugi can make up as many excuses as he’d like, but the thumping in his heart doesn’t stop as he watches Banri, once again, take a bite on of the donut he had already bitten off of. But unlike the first time, Banri doesn’t let go and instead closes his eyes as he chews. He’s playing with him, Tsumugi can tell. The grip on his wrist isn’t tight, so it’s not like Tsumugi  _ can’t _ break free if he wants to. A moment passes, and Banri’s back to eating off of Tsumugi’s hand, bite after bite until Banri finishes the whole donut on Tsumugi’s grasp. 

“Banri-ku—Ah!”

A wet sensation on his fingertips startles Tsumugi. Banri licks across Tsumugi’s digits as if to completely clean off the crumbs that were lingering. He feels like he should fight him, tell Banri that this isn’t the time and place to really do this, but when Banri opens his eyes ever slightly, Tsumugi feels locked by the gaze, as if the shivering down his spine made him paralyze on the spot. Banri presses his lips on Tsumugi’s hand and he can feel Banri’s teasing laugh against it. After clearing all the crumbs (or at least pretending to), his tongue attacks again, this time purposefully going in between the crevices between Tsumugi’s fingers and the smooth side of Tsumugi’s palm. 

Tsumugi can only make out soft whines. He wonders when Banri is going to stop, he wonders why  _ he _ hasn’t told Banri to stop. 

The licking halts, and just when Tsumugi thought it was over, Banri finishes it off with a couple of soft kisses over his fingers and knuckle, surprisingly tender and caring, before intertwining his own hand with Tsumugi’s. The smugness in his face is more evident now than it was a minute ago. “Thanks. It was tasty alright.” 

“Banri-kun…” Tsumugi covers his face with his free hand again and groans in embarrassment. “You really shouldn’t just…  _ do  _ that.” 

“You looked like you were enjoying that, though,” Banri snickers.

Tsumugi shakes his arm in retort, pulling Banri’s along with it. “But you surprised me! Again! How was I supposed to react to it…!”

“Alright, alright,” Banri keeps on grinning as he watches the older one throw a small flustered tantrum. “At least you’re all warmed up now, right?” 

Tsumugi pouts, in contrast to Banri’s cocksure smirk. “I would’ve done well with just your coffee, but…” He presses onto the hand Banri holds him with, and he feels Banri squeeze back. He glances towards Banri, who’s waiting for him to continue.

In the back of his head, Tsumugi knows Banri will find time to do it again if can and when he can. And not just this— he’ll expect Banri to come to him again, with the usual two mugs in his hands, or a pamphlet of a new cafe he’ll want to go together with Tsumugi. He’ll expect Banri to come help in his gardening, or hold his hand in the middle of a crowded flea market street. Banri always seems to find a way to charm him, Tsumugi thinks. Whether it’s his kindness or bold teasing, Banri always made it a priority to make him feel wanted and loved.

Even now, with just their hands held together, Tsumugi feels secure.

He takes a good look at his workspace again, completely forgotten ‘till now, and then looks up at Banri. “You’ll stay here until I finish this up, right?” He meekly asks.

Their hands shift positions, still staying tight and together. Banri’s thumb rubs over Tsumugi’s small knuckle, and his look on Tsumugi softens. “I’ll stay as long as you’d like me to.”

**Author's Note:**

> Did you know that Cafe Palazzo is the actual real-life cafe they based for the February Magic illustration's location? It really is closed down now, though. sad.


End file.
